LAKERS FEEL THE BURN L.A. IN 0-2 HOLE AFTER SUNS WIN.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND 

Staff Writer

PHOENIX - The time for being timid had passed. The Lakers would attack the basket Tuesday night.

What other choice did they have? Nothing else had worked against Phoenix in Game 1, so the Lakers' chances for series survival depended on their ability to drive the lane, draw fouls on center Amare Stoudemire and attempt to outmuscle the run-and-gun Suns and take them out of their comfort zone.

And here's how that turned out: Just 77 seconds into the game, James Jones blocked Luke Walton's short jumper. Forty-seven seconds later, Stoudemire rejected Kobe Bryant's attempt at a short runner.

Seventy-five seconds after that, Stoudemire soared to swat away one of Lamar Odom's patented driving layups.

Game 2 continued, and the Suns toyed with the Lakers for a while, but the tone had been set and the game's outcome all but decided. A couple dreadful hours later, the Lakers sullenly walked off the court, having lost 126-98 in front of 18,422 at US Airways Center, their playoff fate seemingly sealed.

The only consolation? The Lakers didn't suffer their worst playoff defeat ever. That was a 35-point loss to Utah in the first round in 1998.

If the series' first game, during which the Lakers blew a double-digit second-half lead, was about missed opportunities, the second game was about domination, as the Suns took control early and never let up.

Bryant, who finished with 15 points in 32 minutes, had a rough night. He made four of seven shots in the first quarter but then made just one of his final six shots and wasn't a factor in the second half.

Bryant went to the locker room with five minutes remaining in the game. Four minutes earlier, he collided with Leandro Barbosa and appeared to twist his right ankle, but not seriously.

Leandro Barbosa led the Suns with 26 points off the bench.

Stoudemire finished with 20 points and nine rebounds as the Suns outscored the Lakers 37-22 in the second quarter, built a 20-point first-half lead and took a commanding 2-0 lead in the first-round series. Phoenix led by as many as 32 in the second half.

Game 3 is Thursday at Staples Center, but there's little evidence that a Laker turnaround is imminent.

Their attempt to drive to the basket thwarted early, the Lakers had no answers. Bryant, who had scored 39 points in Game 1, never got on track long enough to unleash one of his game-changing runs. Odom couldn't finish near the basket and scored just 10 points, as did rookie point guard Jordan Farmar.

By the start of the fourth quarter, down 27 points, the Lakers turned to an all-reserve lineup.

Meanwhile, Phoenix's offense, which had begun stagnant and slow at times in Game 1, ran at full speed as the Suns whipped the ball around for a variety of dunks, layups and momentum-turning 3-pointers.

Steve Nash, the two-time league MVP, had 11 of his 14 assists by halftime and the Lakers' point-guard corps, which included the surprise addition of Shammond Williams, had few answers.

Nash added 16 points, Shawn Marion totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Suns played at their typical break-neck pace as the Lakers got buried in an avalanche of missed defensive assignments.

Barbosa, named the NBA's top sixth man the day before, did more damage off the bench as he provided another energy boost late in the first quarter. Barbosa started, and ended, a 10-0 Phoenix run that turned a three- point Suns lead into a 13-point advantage early in the second quarter.

The Suns would push the lead to as many as 21 points in the second quarter and although the Lakers did a better job of getting to the free-throw line, their plan to work the ball inside didn't work out.

The game-deciding run began with 36 seconds left in the first quarter, when Barbosa hit a 3-pointer. Barbosa opened the second quarter with a layup, Boris Diaw followed with a 3-point play and Barbosa hit a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 38-25 lead and begin the rout.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, has his shot attempt blocked by Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire with help from James Jones.

Deidre Hamill/Associated Press

(2) Kobe Bryant tries to get past Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire in the second quarter.

Rob Schumacher/Associated Press

(3) The Suns' Steve Nash enjoys his team's blowout victory over the Lakers. Nash had 14 assists -- 11 in the first half.

Michael Chow/Associated Press

Box:

(1) HERO

(2) GOAT

(3) THEY SAID IT

(4) KEY STAT

(5) QUARTER BY QUARTER

(6) WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST-ROUND SERIES PHOENIX LEAD 1-0